If there’s one thing cinephiles love, it’s being able to quote and reference movies in their everyday lives, and there’s certainly no shortage of movies that have provided ammunition for this prospect. Lots of movies in a wide range of genres, from comedies to fantasies, have provided moviegoers with loads of memes, in-jokes, or profound bits of advice that are actually applicable through their impeccable screenwriting.
War movies, of course, have also provided viewers with some pretty great quotes. Though these movies take place across a variety of time periods and vary in their levels of historical accuracy and realism, they all share one thing in common:these movies are highly quotable, with some lines of dialogue that can be recognized by pretty much anyone, even if someone hasn’t even heard of the movies their respective quotes originate from.
10’Saving Private Ryan' (1998)
Most iconic quote: “Earn this… earn it!”
Saving Private RyanisSteven Spielberg’sclassic D-Day flick, starring a group of American GIs sent to locate and rescue Private James Ryan (Matt Damon), who is being sent home after all of his siblings have perished in the war. Since the young paratrooper is the focal point of the squad’s mission, they have to make many sacrifices to ensure his survival, which, it is later revealed, causes him to be wracked with guilt in his twilight years.
There are a few good quotes here and there, many of them thought-provoking and profound rather than easy to reference or comical. It’s a very serious film, so it’s natural that its most quotable moments are about loss, sacrifice, and the horrors of war rather than in-jokes or catchphrases. Still,it’s a movie that did produce quite a few memorable lines, ones that should be remembered for what they entail and imply.
Saving Private Ryan
9’A Few Good Men' (1992)
Most iconic quote: “You can’t handle the truth!”
A Few Good Menis far from a traditional war movie, in that it is less about the action and more about courtroom drama. It’s unclear when exactly the movie takes place, but it does heavily revolve around the US military, and is based upon a stage play that came out during the Cold War, so it’s likely safe to assume that it is also about the Cold War. The story involves the murder of a US marine at the Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba, with two other marines being accused of the crime.
Coming to their defense is military lawyer Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise), who intends to prove their innocence by effectively accusing their commanding officer, Nathan Jessop (Jack Nicholson), with the implication being that he ordered the men to commit the heinous act. Since it is a courtroom drama, the script is imperative to the movie’s performance, which meansthere are a lot of well-written and quotable lines contained within, especially in the arguments that arisebetween Kaffee and Jessop.
A Few Good Men
8’Tropic Thunder' (2008)
Most iconic quote: “First, take a big step back and literally f**k yourown face!”
Tropic Thunderis a satirical dark comedy movie about making a movie based on a Vietnam War veteran’s memoir, with the main cast being played by a bunch of misfit actors and comedians. This wildly stupid, yet actually kind of brilliant movie is a comedy classic, and is perhaps one ofthe most meta films ever made, largely in part due to its hilarious dialogue and inventive insults and tropes.
The entire movie is basically a critique of Hollywood and the ridiculous things filmmakers did and sometimes still do, making some truly nonsensical and borderline dangerous decisions for reasons unknown. The profanity-laden movie is loaded with insults as pretty much everyone working on the film hates each other’s guts, which allows for some of the raunchiest, yet funniest movie one-liners ever conceived.Tropic Thunderisn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it is pretty quotable, and very subtle in its layers of comedy.
Tropic Thunder
7’Inglourious Basterds' (2009)
Most iconic quote: “Nein, nein, nein!”
Inglourious Basterdsisan alternate history flickabout a fictitious, yet daring plot to assassinateAdolf Hitler, the tyrannical and genocidal leader of Nazi Germany during World War II. With this being aQuentin Tarantinomovie, there are tons of dark jokes, but also some well-executed quotes, many of which have served as reaction gifs or memes online.
Perhaps the most well-known of these isMartin Wuttke’s portrayal of Adolf Hitler, who angrily (and repeatedly) slams his hand down on his desk whilst screaming, “Nein, nein, nein!” (which is the German word for “no.") It’s a ridiculous, yet very effective reaction gif online, especially when one wants to others to know that they absolutely are not interested in whatever is being proposed, or whatever is going on. It’s a little bit iffy on account of the fact that it’s from an actor’s rendition of one of the most evil people in history, but that’s sort of Tarantino’s style of humor, which is probably whyso many people have come to appreciate the movie’s many quotable moments.
Inglourious Basterds
6’Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' (1964)
Most iconic quote: “Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here. This is the war room!”
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, is set during the Cold War, where an unhinged US general decides to make a preemptive strike against the Soviet Union,leading to a Third World War. The prospect of a nuclear war may sound pretty grim, but the movie is actually a satirical black comedy movie, with some brilliantly-executed gallows humor and some undying moments that are easily recognizable, even if you’ve never watched the movie.
With these undying moments come equally undying quotes. The quote in particular about there being “no fighting in the war room” has attracted monumental attention, and can be found as a reference in dozens of video games, as well as other forms of media. It may not be the most quotable war movie out there, butDr. Strangeloveis still an easy one to reference due to its timeless anti-nuclear war message.
Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb
5’Braveheart' (1995)
Most iconic quote: “They make take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”
Braveheartfollows the story of revolutionary fighterSirWilliam Wallace(Mel Gibson) during the First Scottish War of Independence, which ran from 1296-1328. During this period, Scotland was a separate entity from England and had yet to be united under the modern banner of the United Kingdom, but that didn’t stop the English from trying to conquer Scotland anyway.
Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Sir Wallace is vehement about maintaining independence, with the belief that Scottish independence is the only way to true freedom for him and his fellow Scots. As such, he gives many patriotic speeches about his country, calling his countrymen to arms, and screaming in defiance, calling for freedom even in the face of his own execution.Many of these quotes have naturally been pretty inspiring to others, and so, have become the focal pointsof many other speeches and references in pop culture.
Braveheart
4’Full Metal Jacket' (1987)
Most iconic quote: “Ain’t war Hell?”
Many of the best quotes inFull Metal Jacketcome from the movie’s drill sergeant, Hartman, who was played byR. Lee Ermey, an actual drill sergeant in real life. Hartman is foul-mouthed and delivers biting insult after biting insult straight into the faces of the new recruits, many of which are harsh and cruel, but actually kind of hilarious. In just one scene, Hartman unleashes a flurry of some of the most deliciously contemptful insults, ones that constantly live rent-free in people’s heads to this day.
While Hartman is primarily the source of these excellent quotes, some of them also come from the recruits, especially the one quote that basically sums up the entire movie: “Ain’t war Hell?“Full Metal Jacketreally is one ofthe best Vietnam War movies(and certainly among the most quotable), because it isn’t just about fighting the enemy, but also about fighting the difficulties one faces during training, including mental health and the strive to be the perfect soldier that is expected by the superiors.
Full Metal Jacket
3’Casablanca' (1942)
Most iconic quote: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
Casablancais widely regarded as one of the finest movies ever made, and perhaps even one of themost quotable movies ever. Set in the titular Moroccan city during World War II, the story revolves around a nightclub owner, played byHumphrey Bogart, who becomes tangled up in a smuggling operation for an old flame. The problem is, she wants out of the city, and the place is occupied by Nazis, so this is going to be far from an easy feat.
Bogart’s Rick Blaine has a super cynical attitude and has no problem telling people exactly how he feels about them, making for some hilarious insults, but also some acerbic and poignant quotes. Perhaps the one that gets used the most often is Blaine’s acknowledgment to his old lover, saying, “Here’s looking at you, kid,” which has since become a universal sign of acclaim and a way of telling someone that you’re glad they are with you.It’s a bittersweet moment in a brilliant movie filled to the brim with some of the best lines ever committed to film.
Casablanca
2’Apocalypse Now' (1979)
Most iconic quote: “The horror… the horror…”
Apocalypse Nowisbased on Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella,Heart of Darkness, but takes place in a vastly different setting and time period. Instead of following the book and being about colonial traders in the Congo region of Africa, it is about American soldiers in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. However, the story is pretty much the same: someone has gone AWOL, and somebody else is sent upriver to find out what happened to this missing individual, only to discover they have gained favor with the locals and are revered as a god-like figure.
There are so, so many usable quotes in this film, from Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore’s (Robert Duvall) “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” to his endlessly-referenced “Charlie don’t surf,” uttered in the exact same scene. But by far the most famous, universal, and haunting quote, is Colonel Kurtz’s (Marlon Brando) “The horror… the horror…,” perfectly expressing the nightmarish conditions of war and the atrocities humans can commit during it.Apocalypse Nowhas a lot of quotes that are easy to reference and can be found in various aspects of pop culture.
Apocalypse Now
1'300' (2007)
Most iconic quote: “This is Sparta!”
300isbased on Frank Miller’s graphic novelof the same name, which is set during the Greco-Persian Wars in the Fifth Century BCE. In this highly fictionalized retelling of a true story,King Leonidas I(Gerard Butler) took a force of just 300 of his finest warriors to meet an enormous Persian army at Thermopylae, in a sacrificial mission that every Spartan knew would result in their deaths. However, they also knew their sacrifice would buy time for the rest of Greece to prepare for the coming invasion.
Gerard Butler’s rendition of Leonidas I gives a lot of memorable speeches, many of them ripped straight from the graphic novel. There are just so many good quotes in this movie, all pertaining to the unbreakable spirit of the Spartans, and the glory of battle they felt. But of course, the best is the highly-memeable “This is Sparta!“All of the movie’s best quotes come from Leonidas, and they’re quotes that have become timeless, to the point that everyone knows them, even those who haven’t seen the movie, which is what makes300easily the most quotable war movies.
